The 2025-26 school year is at its end which means the high school sports year is officially over.
You’ve played a big part in our Team of the Week and Team of the Season voting and have one last request…vote for Team of the Year!
OrthoCincy Orthopeadics and Sports Medicine and LINK nky are proud to partner and celebrate the remarkable achievements of our local high school athletes and teams!
St. Henry’s boys cross country team was the Team of the Season winner for the fall, Highlands swim and dive for the winter and Campbell County softball for the spring.
These three candidates are now up for the final prize. A large commemorative plaque and the school will receive an additional $500 scholarship to be presented to the student-athlete of their choice.
A write-up for each Team of the Season is below with the voting option under the link. Vote as much as possible. Voting will end July 3 with the winner announced on July 6.
Fall Sports Team of the Season — St. Henry boys cross country
In their 2025 season, St. Henry’s boys won the Class 1A, Region 4 title by 43 points over Beechwood.
The Crusaders were led by region champion Sam Neuhaus in a time of 16:35. Logan Vaniglia was right behind him in second (16:41). Bryson Colyer (17:32), Mason Fields (17:39), Mac Pierce (17:45), Mason Dunwoody (17:46) and Henry Dunham (17:48) finished 8th-12th for St. Henry.
They followed it up with a runner-up finish at the Class A state cross country meet. They scored 136 points, second only to Louisville Collegiate.
In the state meet at the Kentucky Horse Park, Neuhaus led the way again as he finished 14th individually in a time of 17:13 and made the podium for a medal. He was followed by Vaniglia in 24th (17:35), Fields in 29th (17:48), Colyer in 36th (18:09), and Pierce in 53rd (18:30) as their top five finishers. Dunham finished 55th (18:38) and Dunwoody 64th (18:53).
With their strong performances, Neuhaus and Vaniglia were named to the Class A KTCCCA All-State team.
Winter Sports Team of the Season — Highlands swim and dive
A memorable season for the Highlands swim and dive teams gets more recognition to it.
They won the KHSAA combined team title at the state meet, in which boys and girls scores are added, over Louisville Eastern, 272.5-268.
Two things helped Highlands: scoring over 130 points in both boys and girls (139.5 Friday by the boys, Saturday’s 133 by the girls); and finishing in the top five in five of the six relays – the 200 medley, 200 freestyle and the 400 freestyle.
Highlands received its first boost in 1-meter diving when senior Addie Tinkler finished sixth.
Highlands’ Margaret Meyers, Taryn Ripley, Keira Kobida and Vivian Winkler finished sixth in the 200 medley relay in 1 minute, 51.66 seconds. Ripley, Kobida, Ella Kate Reynolds and Moore placed third in both the 200 (1:39.24) and 400 freestyle relays (3:36.71).
The boys team was fourth with 139.5 points – the best finish since the Bluebirds took second in 2020 and 2021.
They cemented their supremacy in Northern Kentucky by sweeping the Northern Kentucky Athletic Conference titles, winning the boys, girls and overall championships. The boys posted 550 points.
The Highlands girls were even more commanding, scoring 616. In the combined standings, Highlands piled up 1,166 points.
Other honorees included Highlands’ Stella Kendon, the Division I Girls Competitor of the Meet, and teammate Chanith Abeysinghe, the D‑1 Boys Competitor of the Meet.
Highlands’ roster produced some standout individual moments. But the Bluebirds won the same way they’ve won all season—with depth, balance and a long list of contributors.
Among the Highlands girls individual event winners were Kendon in the 200-yard medley, Ella Kate Reynolds in the 100- and 200-yard freestyle races, Vivian Winkler in the 50-yard freestyle and Margaret Meyers in the 100-yard backstroke. Reynolds was runner-up to Kendon in the girls power points race.
Bluebirds boys winners included Abeysinghe in the 100-yard freestyle and Max Taylor in the 100-yard butterfly. Elliot Meyers won the 500-yard freestyle.
Highlands also won a handful of relay races with help from Kendon and Abeysinghe.
Highlands’ Addie Tinkler was girls runner-up with 362.50 in the 1-meter diving competition.
Spring Sports Team of the Season — Campbell County softball
The Campbell County softball team won LINK nky Team of the Week April 6-12 for their hot start to the season as they got off to an 8-2 start.
A six-game winning streak in late April got them to 14-4 and finished the 2026 campaign 22-9 with a district runner-up trophy and a region semifinalist.
Hitting was the name of their game as they averaged over 10 runs per game and had seven everyday players hit over the .300 mark led by Hope Hamilton’s .568 batting average at the plate. Hamilton also led the team in home runs (12), RBI (57), hits (50), doubles (13) and walks (11). She struck out just four times in 88 at-bats.
Others to bolster the offense included Josie Feebeck with a .490 average, eight home runs and a team-high in runs (56) and stolen bases (29). Lilly Phirman hit .484 and walked 14 times to just four strikeouts in 90 official at-bats. Samantha Perry (.421 batting average), Faith Whitford (.407), Addison Coplen (.344) and Mallory Fleckenstein (.302) all hit over .300 on the season.
Feebeck was named to the All-State second team by the Kentucky Softball Coaches Association while Hamilton picked up honorable mention honors.
Vote below! Voting is open until July 3 at noon.
